The mental health of workers has emerged as an urgent topic within the construction industry, with firms considering the issue as part of their employee wellness initiatives.
One such firm is Minneapolis-based general contractor Gardner Builders. Three of its jobsites currently include Wellness Pods, 6x8-ft steel boxes that provide workers with a temporary, anxiety free sanctuary for private activities. The heated and cooled pods are wheelchair-accessible, with a mini fridge, desk and chair, and rug.
The concept for the pods dates back to last year, when Gardner Builders noticed that its employees engaged in activities that might be best served by having a private space to retire to. This need was expressed further during a meeting of the company’s internal Pulse group, which discusses employee concerns. A 20-year-old female laborer pointed out that she had nowhere to go while at work to pump breastmilk. “The idea for the wellness pod was borne from this,” says Jessica Stoe, Gardner Builders’ Brand, Wellness, and Marketing Director, and Wellness Pod Lead.
The first pods, built in May 2022, were small plywood boxes within Gardner’s offices. Stoe says the goal, then and now, was to create a place that is soundproof, comfortable, and accessible for everything from meditation, telehealth, privacy, and prayer. Based on worker feedback, most employees seem to be using the pods for private calls.
Future pods will be mobile
The pod is more of a concept than a static structure; some are on wheels, for example. Gardner has also partnered with the furniture supplier Teknion to develop its steel pod with a glass door. Stoe estimates that a plywood pod costs Gardner $3,000; the steel model runs between $12,000 and $16,000.
Right now, a jobsite’s foreman or superintendent handles the scheduling for using jobsite pods. Stoe says Gardner is looking into scheduling software similar to what office workers use to book meeting rooms.
Future iterations of the pods, says Stoe, are likely to be more mobile so they can be moved around a jobsite as needed. And Gardner is developing a ground-up, climate-controlled model for exterior use. That model, says Stoe, would have an iPad mounted to it that allows workers to schedule the pod themselves.
Gardner Builders has gotten inquiries about its Wellness Pods from the local YMCA and Chamber of Commerce, and wants to share the concept with other contracting firms.
Related Stories
| Apr 24, 2013
Los Angeles may add cool roofs to its building code
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants cool roofs added to the city’s building code. He is also asking the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to create incentives that make it financially attractive for homeowners to install cool roofs.
| Apr 23, 2013
Building material innovation: Concrete cloth simplifies difficult pours
Milliken recently debuted a flexible fabric that allows for concrete installations on slopes, in water, and in other hard to reach places—without the need for molds or mixing.
| Apr 22, 2013
Top 10 green building projects for 2013 [slideshow]
The AIA's Committee on the Environment selected its top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.
| Apr 19, 2013
DPR Construction acquires Hardin Construction
DPR Construction has purchased Atlanta-based Hardin Construction Company. The companies are combining operations in the Southeast and Texas markets, including Atlanta, Austin, Texas, Houston, and Raleigh, N.C.
| Apr 19, 2013
Must see: Shell of gutted church on stilts, 40 feet off the ground
Construction crews are going to extremes to save the ornate brick façade of the Provo (Utah) Tabernacle temple, which was ravaged by a fire in December 2010.
| Apr 18, 2013
Survey seeks info from managers of high-tech facilities
The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL), and Laney College in Oakland California, a National Science Foundation-funded Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center, are collaborating to identify education and training needs and strategies for high-tech facility operators.
| Apr 18, 2013
SOM, CASE team up to launch crowd-sourced apps library
SOM and CASE have formally launched AEC-APPS, the first crowd-sourced, web-based library for applications used by architects, engineers and construction professionals. This is a one-of-a-kind initiative in the AEC Industry and is a non-profit online community that allows digital tool users and toolmakers to share ideas, tips and resources.
| Apr 17, 2013
Frank Lloyd Wright's Park Avenue showroom demolished
New York loses another architectural gem by Frank Lloyd Wright as new owner razes auto showroom.
| Apr 17, 2013
First look: Renzo Piano's glass-domed motion pictures museum
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last week released preliminary plans for its $300 million Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences museum in Los Angeles, designed by Renzo Piano and local architect Zoltan Pali.
| Apr 16, 2013
Dempsey Construction acquires Legacy Building Services Inc.
Dempsey Construction Inc., San Diego, has acquired Legacy Building Services Inc., a general contractor also from San Diego. The acquisition creates a diversified organization that will serve the commercial development, biotech/laboratory, multifamily, retail, education, historic renovation, theme park and health care sectors.